Swan's Market is a nationally-recognized model for the re-purposing of a historic structure as a mixed-use & mixed income urban village. A major East Bay shopping destination for over 60 years, Swan’s encompassed an entire city block in the Old Oakland neighborhood. The non-profit East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC) rescued this historic structure from imminent demolition through creative financing and an ambitious mixed-use program that included a fresh food market hall, restaurants, street-oriented retail, 20 cohousing units and common house, 18 affordable rental units, live/work space, commercial office space, and a central shared courtyard.

PYATOK worked closely with EBALDC and future cohousing residents to fit the complex program within the shell of the existing structure, preserving over 75% of the original exterior. Portions of the roof were removed to bring sunlight into the interior of the block and to create public and private outdoor spaces that link the diverse uses into a vibrant, unique urban community.